Relay



0d. 3, 1933. w. D. HAlLEs ET AL RELAY Fileduan. 14, 19:51

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 RELAY William D. Hailes and Walter H. Hoppe, Ro-

chester, N. Y., asslgnors to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester, N. Y.

Application January 14, 1931. Serial No. 508,659

15 Claims. (Cl. 200-93) This invention relates to electrical relays and more particularly to the type of electrical relays used in railway centralized trafilc control systems.

In certain centralized traflic control systems it has been found advantageous to employ relays which are operable to two distinct positions in accordance with the energizing polarity, and which remain in' either of such positions after interrupting the operating current. A relay, used in such a system, is necessarily of small dimensions and simple construction, as a large number is employed and usually grouped in a comparatively small space.

With th'ese and other considerations in mind,

it is proposed in accordance with this invention to provide a small and easily constructed electromagnetic relay with an attracted and a retracted armature position, and includinga permanent magnet whereby the armature, after being positioned by a definite polarity oi operating energy, is held in such an attracted position until it is released by the application of a current of opposite polarity.

Other objects, purposes, and characteristic features of the invention will appear as the description thereof progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which shows, solely by the way of example, and in no mannerin a limiting sense, one form which the invention can assume, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a relay according to this invention with a part shown in section to illustrate the electro-magnet construction.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the relay of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isan end elevation of the same relay.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing,

the relay comprises an elongated core 1 with a smaller diameter threaded mounting extension 11, which holds a non-magnetic supporting member 2 and a magnetic member 3 by a nut 4 clamping them against a shoulder made by the larger diameter oi' core 1. A spool 5 is carried by core 1 and held in place thereon by a spring washer 6 urging it against a retaining ring 7 which is a spring t into an annular slot in the free end of core 1.

Spool 5 contains a winding 8 concentrated at the rear end thereof and a wood spacing washer 9 filling the remaining space. The wood spacing washer has an enlarged end 91 with the smaller circular portion and the winding 8 taped overall 5 in assembly.

The magnetic member 3 has two inwardly extending strip portions 3l and 32 which extend parallel to and equally spaced from the spool 5 with their free ends sprung to rest rmly against the sides of the spool 5. Also included on the 00 magnetic member 3 is an L-shaped supporting portion 33, which holds a permanent magnet 13 adjustably clamped thereto by screws 14 and holding a clamp l5, so as to extend beneath and parallel to the spool 5 with its free end resting 65 `firmly against the lower side of the enlarged end 9l of the wood spacing washer 9. The ends of the spool 5 have fiat top surfaces to engage the lower side of the non-magnetic supporting member 2r which member extends along the top of the spool 5 and thus prevents turning of the spool 5 on the core l.

Over an acute angled edge at the free end of the supporting member 2 is pivoted an armature 16, constructed of suitable low residual magnetic material and formed to an obtuse angle to have a distinct inside corner edge resting on the aforesaid acute angle of the supporting member 2. The top portion of the armature 16 has a central oblong slot 17 extending through the bend therein, 80 and a bridge member 18 is riveted to the top end and is bent downwardly to engage the supporting member 2 to serve as a stop for limiting the armatures motion in the non-attracted direction.

The lower part of armature 16 extends down- 35 wardly in front of the free end of core 1 and the free end of the permanent magnet 13. A residual screw 19 of non-magnetic material is threaded into the extreme lower end of armature 16 and locked in an adjusted position by nut 20, thus 9 adjusting the movement of the armature toward the permanent magnet 13.

A T-shaped retaining member 2l is placed in the armature slot 17, so as to be free from the edges thereof and is held in a spline in the supporting member 2 by a screw 22 threaded to clamp it therein. The ends 211 of the retaining member 21 have edges cut at an oblique angle which rest against the outside arc of the bend in the armature 16 to thus provide a retainer which 10 offers slight resistance to the pivoting motion about the acute edge of the supporting member 2.

An offset bracket 23 is secured to the supporting member 2 by screws 24 and holds a number of contact banks which may be varied to meet the particular requirements, but is illustrated as being two banks of like construction. These banks include resilient front contact fingers 25, similar inverted ngers or back contact fingers 26 and movable contact fingers 27. Rigid stops 28 are no are carried from the winding 8 through insulating bushings 32 held in holes in the supporting meinber 2.

Each bank is firmly held in its assembled position on the bracket 23 by two through bolts 33 with suitable insulating bushings on their body portions (not shown) and with their heads bearing on a metal washer 34 which is also separated from the top finger by an insulating spacer 29. These through bolts 33 are held and locked by nuts 35 which are insulated from the soldering lugs 30 in the same manner as the heads of the through bolts 33 as previously described.

The Contact fingers 25, 26 and 27 are made of suitable flat spring material, such as phosphor bronze, and are allowed to extend a short distance in the rear of the insulating spacers 29 to facilitate in soldering external wire connections. The other end of each of the Contact fingers 25 and 26 is bifurcated by a. slot 36 with a suitable low resistance arc resisting contact point 37 near the extreme end of each fork, thus providing an individually resilient portion for each low resistance contact point.

The movable Contact fingers 27 have two double faced low resistance arc resisting contact points 38 arranged to be engageable with the low resistance arc resisting contact points 37 on either the front contact lingers 25 or the back contact fingers 26. These movable fingers 27 have two holes near their extreme end to receive insulating connecting rods 39 which are employed to operatively interconnect all the movable fingers 27 of each bank and the lower movable finger to the bridge 18 of the armature 16.

An armature biasing spring 40 is clamped between the two contact banks on the bracket 23 by bolts 41 secured by nuts 42. The spring 40 is made of fiat resilient material similar to that used in the contact fingers and extends forward with a slight downward bend to allow its extreme end to press downwardly on the bridge 18 of the armature 16.

It is apparent from the foregoing description and by referring to Fig. 2 that when the winding 8 is deenergized the permanent magnet 13 causes a fiux to fiow through the armature 16, core 1 and the supporting portion 33 of the magnetic member 3. This flow of flux causes a force to act on armature 16 which tends to draw the lower end into contact with the permanent magnet 13 but the biasing spring 40 is adjusted so as to exert a slightly greater counter force which results in maintaining the armature 16 out of Contact with permanent magnet 13.

Assuming that the permanent magnet 13 is so clamped in the relay assembly that its free end is the north pole, the fiux emanating therefrom f iows into the armature 16 and returns through the core 1 and the magnetic member 3. If a current is now caused to fiow in a direction in the winding 8 so that the free end of core 1 is made a south pole, the magnetomotive force is additive in direction to the magnivmotive force of the permanent magnet 13. This cumulative magnetomoti force results in the flow of flux in the armature of a value that the force produced is sufficient nvercome the reaction of the biasing spring 40. The armature 16 is thus moved about its pivot point, into contact with the permanent magnet 13 lifting the bridge 18 from the supporting member 2 which raises the movable contact fingers 27 into engagement with the stationary front finger 25.

If now the current flow in the winding 8 is interrupted. the armature 16 still remains against the permanent magnet 13, because its movement to this position decreased the reluctance of the permanent magnet flux path through the core l to an extent that sufficient ux now ows to exert a greater tractive force on the armature 16 than is exerted by the biasing spring 40.

The armature 16, having been thus attracted, remains in this attracted positon until a current of opposite polarity is caused to flow in the winding 8. This current creates a north pole in the free end of core 1, thus resulting in a magnetomotive force counter-actiiig the magnetmotive force produced by permanent magnet 13. The bucking of the inagnetomotive forces producing these two flux sources decreases the flux in the armature 16 to such an extent that the resulting tractive force is less than the force of the biasing spring 40. the armature 16 and the biasing spring 40 returns it to its normal position against the supporting member 2, which causes the movable contact fingers 27 to engage with thestationary back contact fingers 26.

To obviate the tendency of the flux from core 1 to overcome and reverse the direction of flux in the permanent magnet 13, when they are in opposition, and thus cause demagnetization of the permanent magnet 13, the winding 8 is concentrated at the rear of the core 1 with a return leakage path provided by the extending strip portions 31 and 32 of the magnetic member 3. The superiiuous flux from core l by fringing out through the wood spacing washer 9 returns to the south pole through the magnetic strip portions 3l and 32 instead of fiowing in a demagnetizing direction in the permanent magnet 13. It is probable that some permanent magnet fiux, when opposed, will also fringe into the magnetic strip portions 31 and 32 and return to the opposite pole along with the fiux from core l.

The current required to release the armature from its attracted position can be regulated by adjusting the residual screw 19, although care should be taken not to have the retaining magnetomotive force so near the value of the spring biasing force that a possible jar might release the armature. An adjustment of the distance of the armature movement or the air gap between the armature 16 and the core 1, can also be made by sliding the permanent magnet 13 in its clamp l5.

From the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description it is seen that a very compact relay is provided which is distinctly responsive to the energizing current of one polarity if it has previously been positioned by current of an opposite polarity, or, in other words, it constitutes a relay which responds to current of a definite polarity and remains in this position after the interruption of this current and until it is released by an application of current of the opposite polarity.

The above rather specific description of one form of the present invention is given solely by way of example, and is not intended, in any man- This results in releasing ner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that various modifications, adaptations and alterations maybe applied to meet the requirements of practice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, except as limited by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what we claim isz- 1. In a relay, an elongated core, a threaded end on said core, a non-magnetic L-shaped member and a magnetic U-shaped member secured to said threaded portion so as to extend in spaced parallel relation to said core, a permanent magnet adjustably clamped to said magnetic U-shaped member so as to extend along said core and substantially equidistant from the legs of said magnetic U-shaped member, a winding on said core concentrated near the threaded end thereof, a spacer of non-magnetic insulating material between said winding and the free end of said core with means thereon for positioning the free end of said permanent magnet, a crank-shaped armature pivoted on the free end of said nonmagnetic L-shaped member and movable toward the free ends of said core and said permanent magnet, a retaining member secured to said L-shaped supporting member and presenting oblique surfaces against the outside arc of said armature, a biasing spring acting on said armature and a plurality of fixed and movable resilient contact ngers operable in accordance with the position of said armature, said xed contact fingers including contact points on bifurcated free ends thereof engageable with contact points on said movable ngers.

2. In a relay, a soft iron core with a threaded mounting extension, a non-magnetic supporting member secured to said threaded mounting extension, a U-shaped magnetic member secured at its mid point to said mounting extension, a permanent magnet adjustably clamped to said U-shaped magnetic member so as to extend in spaced parallel relation to said core and equidistant from the legs of said U-shaped magnetic member, a spool on said core including a winding concentrated at the end adjacent said mounting extension and a wood spacer occupying the remaining space in said spool, an armature pivoting about the free end of said supporting member and attractable against a biasing spring toward the free ends of said core and said permanent magnet, a retaining member holding said armature in an operable position on said pivot and contact means operated in accordance with the position of said armature.

3. A relay including an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet arranged in spaced parallel relationship, and an armature attractable to bridge said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet, means biasing said armature out of said attracted position but incapable of returning the same when in said attracted position, a leakage iiux path extending parallel to said electro-magnet and spaced from said armature and means on said armature for adjusting the retaining force in said attracted position.

4. A relay including an electro-magnet and a permanent magnet connected at one end, a pivoted armature arranged to swing into a position magnetically bridging together the free ends of said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet, means biasing said armature out of said magnetically bridging position and means on said armature for adjusting the force holding same in said magnetically bridging position, said electromagnet including a coil concentrated vlat the end connected to said permanent magnet and magv netic leakage strips paralleling said electromagnet.

5. In a relay, in combination, an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet having one end magnetically connected to one end of said electromagnet, an armature, and means for biasing said armature to a denite position, said electromagnet being arranged to attract said armature from said biased position to a position magnetically bridging the free end of said electro-magnet and the free end of said permanent magnet, if energized by a current of one polarity. said permanent magnet being arranged to retain said armature in said attracted position upon the deenergization of said electromagnet said biasing means returning said armature when released by the application of a current of opposite polarity te the electro-magnet.

6. In a polarized relay, in combination, an elongated electro-magnet, an elongated permanent magnet having one end magnetically connected to one end of said electro-magnet, a magnetic member secured at the junction of said electromagnet and said permanent magnet having strip portions partially encircling said electro-magnet substantially spaced at right angles from said permanent magnet, a tractive armature operable to complete a magnetic circuit including said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet, and biasing means effective to position said armature within a predetermined marginal value of magnetic flux therein, said electro-magnet having a winding concentrated at its fixed end and a core extending beyond said winding in spaced relation to the strip portions of said magnetic member.

'7. In a relay, in combination, an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet, an armature, means biasing said armature toa definite position, said electro-magnet being arranged to attract said armature from said biased position if energized by a current of one polarity, said permanent magnet being arranged to retain said armature in said attracted position upon the de-energization of said electromagnet, said biasing means returning said armature when released by the application of a current of opposite polarity to the electro-magnet.

8. A relay including an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet arranged in spaced parallel relationship, and an armature attractable to bridge said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet, means biasing said armature out of said attracted position but incapable of returning the same when in said attracted position, a leakage iiux path extending parallel to said electro-magnet and spaced from said armature.

9. A relay including an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet arranged in spaced parallel relationship, and an armature attractable to bridge said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet` means biasing said armature out of said attracted position but incapable of returning the same when in said attracted position.

10. In a polarized relay, in combination, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, a pivoted armature, elastic means biasing the armature away from said magnets, and effective to retain the armature away from the permanent magnet, when the electro-magnet is de-energized, the armature being drawn against the permanent magnet when the electro-magnet is energized with one polarity.

1l. In a polarized relay, in combination, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, a pivoted armature, elastic means biasing the amature away from said magnets, and eil'ective to retain the amature away from the permanent magnet, when the electro-magnet is de-energized, the armature being drawn against the permanent magnet when the electro-magnet is energized with one polarity, the permanent magnet being effective, when the armature is against it, to prevent the elastic means from moving it away, even though the electro-magnet be de-energized.

12. In a polarized relay, in combination, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, a pivoted armature, elastic means biasing the armature away from said magnets, and effective to retain the armature away from the permanent magnet, when the electro-magnet is de-energized, the armature being drawn against the permanent magnet when the electro-magnet is energized with one polarity, the permanent magnet being effective, when the armature is against it, to prevent the elastic means from moving it away, even though the electro-magnet be de-energized, energization of the electro-magnet with the reverse polarity allowing the elastic means to move the armature away from the permanent magnet.

13. A relay including an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet arranged in spaced parallel relationship, and an armature, positioned to one side of, and normally out o! contact with, both said magnets, and attractable to bridge said electromagnet and said pemanent magnet, means blasing said armature out o1' said attracted position but incapable of returning the same when in said attracted position, a leakage Iiux path extending parallel to said electro-magnet and spaced from said armature.

14. A relay including an electro-magnet, a permanent magnet arranged in spaced parallel relationship, and an armature, normally out of contact with, and to one side of both said magnets. and attactable to bridge said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet, means biasing said armature out of said attracted position but incapable of returning the same when in said attracted position.

15. In a polarized relay, in combination, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, a pivoted armature normally out oi contact with said magnets, elastic means biasing the armature away from said magnets, and effective to retain the armature away from the lpermanent magnet, when the electro-magnet is de-energized, the armature being drawn against the permanent magnet when the electro-magnet is energized with one polarity.

' WILLIAM D. HAILES.

WALTER H. HOPPE. 

